Jesse's Starship 3: Joshua's Walls (21 page)

“What’s going on, Mike?”

Mike put his hand over the mouthpiece and said, “There is a drop taking place today.”

Tilly’s eyes went wide and Mike began talking fast. After a few moments, he looked at Tilly and she knew something terrible had happened. He lowered the communicator and sat down slowly on the couch. She put her arms around his neck and felt his tension.

• • •

Josh sat at the table in Sparta’s Central Command Building and fought against his grief. Prissy was at home with the babies and he missed having her there with him. He arrived early and was sitting alone at the huge conference table.

How could things have gone so wrong so fast? He shook his head and sat in silence until he stood to greet the attendees as they arrived. The mood was somber and everyone spoke quietly. Everyone left Josh and General Young alone, respecting their mood. Commandant Dunlov arrived and the room came to attention, except for the Alliance Representatives who stood but didn’t salute. Alex returned his officer’s salute and said, “Take a seat.” Josh looked across the table at General Young and saw his expression reflected his sorrow. Josh felt guilty thanking God that it was Young and not him being the center of discussion. Alex looked around the table and said, “I want to know what happened. How were we caught so off guard?”

Col. Santiago stood and said, “I will be filling in for Col. Adams while she’s recovering at home.” He looked at Josh and said, “Congratulations on your new family, General.” Josh nodded and Cliff looked at his panel, “About six weeks ago we lost contact with Weg activity taking place on the infested planets following the successful drop by General Adam’s Division. It appears now that the Weg knew that we were tracking them underground with the seismic sensors dropped on their planets. Immediately after the Weg Queen was killed, the other infested planets began removing every sensor on the surface. From that time forward, we were only getting sketchy images of what was taking place underground.”

Hetzel said, “What information were you able to gather?”

Cliff looked at Hetzel, “We knew the Queens were being moved to different locations than those we had them spotted on our maps. We continued to drop seismic probes to monitor activity underground for about six weeks and then it began to taper off.”

Amadon, one of the Gracken Chief Elders, said, “We made the determination that the Weg were attempting to hide the new locations they had moved the Queens by cutting back on their digging of new passageways.”

Cliff nodded, “The sensors we dropped all showed a much lower level of underground activity before the Weg removed the probes.” Cliff paused, “We were wrong in that assessment.” Cliff paused for questions but the room remained silent. He pressed his panel and a seismic map appeared on the monitor. “This is a map of the planet our last drop took place.” Cliff used a laser pointer to indicate a place on the map, “During one of our seismic probe drops, we were able to pick up a massive chamber below the planet’s surface before the probes were removed. Gracken Central Command made the determination that the chamber you see here was new and that it must be where the Queen had been moved. Commander Rumel and General Young’s First Division were selected to make a drop and use two Mobile Blasters to fire on that chamber.”

Hetzel said, “Why was that particular landing site chosen?”

“The previous map of the planet showed that there were no major Weg passageways under that location and it offered a good angle to fire at the new chamber.” Hetzel nodded and sat back on his chair. Cliff looked at his panel and said, “It was a trap.”

Alex said, “Why don’t you start the recording and let us see what happened.”

Cliff nodded and pressed a button on his panel. The monitor showed an image of the twenty thousand Gracken and Spartan Warriors forming up on the planet’s surface. The two Giant Mobile Blasters were in the center of the formation and began moving their barrels into position as the view changed to the carriers hanging high above the warriors below. Cliff said, “This view is from a Spartan Warship recording what was taking place on the planet.” The attendees saw numerous bright flashes on the planet’s surface surrounding the warriors on the ground and then hundreds of projectiles appeared moving at high velocity into the upper atmosphere.

Cliff stopped the video and said, “Those missiles coming up from the planet are a new Weg development. The Weg have never used missiles in the past. Notice that they have a bright blue field around them that matches the color of the glowing tabs on the end of the Weg Warrior’s fingers. It was purposely designed to penetrate the carrier’s force fields.”

The video started again and the carriers began moving to evade the incoming projectiles. The gathering watched as the Weg missiles turned and gave chase to the carriers. Jek said, “Why didn’t the carriers boost into orbit?”

Cliff looked at Jek as the video continued, “If they boosted into orbit they would have moved outside the range of the recall magnets being used by the warriors on the ground. The warriors would have been stranded on the surface.” Cliff looked at the attendees and said, “In hindsight, it would have been better if they had boosted into orbit. As it was, there was no one on the carriers to man the blasters and the Weg missiles hit them unimpeded.”

The attendees watched as the Weg Missiles bore in on the carriers and blew through their force fields. There were too many to avoid and the carriers exploded and started falling toward the planet. Cliff looked at the monitor and said, “At that moment, our forces on the planet had no means of escaping.”

Uginoth said, “I don’t see any Flying Weg.”

Cliff paused the video and said, “None were used. It appears the Weg are no longer committed to using them.”

Alex said, “Continue.”

The video started and moved in to a close view of the forces on the ground. The Warriors saw their carriers exploding high overhead and they began charging their weapons. After a moment, the huge square of warriors fell into a monstrous hole that appeared beneath them. The numbers of Weg in the hole was beyond comprehension and the entire Alliance Formation disappeared below ground. Josh fought tears as he visualized what Rumel must have experienced at that moment. The Mobile Blasters fell into the hole along with the warriors and after a few moments, the entire area went up in a nuclear blast. Cliff said, “The sensors on the two Mobile Blasters determined that no one remained alive and they automatically self-destructed.”

Hetzel said, “Our warriors were all killed that quickly?” Cliff nodded.

The attendees watched as the massive blast blew a giant crater into the ground killing everything in a ten-mile radius around the explosion. They watched as the fireball mushroomed up and rose high into the atmosphere. There were no survivors of the doomed drop.

Alex looked at General Young, “Did you launch seismic probes prior to the landing?”

“Yes Sir, I did.”

“And”

“There was no trace of underground activity.”

The room stared at General Young and Josh said, “There was no activity.”

Everyone turned and looked at Josh. Josh shook his head, “They had already dug into that area prior to our arrival.”

Alex saw Josh’s sorrow and said, “I know you lost a close friend there but how can you possibly know that?”

“Sir, we’ve become too predictable. They’ve seen the areas we’ve selected to drop on in the past and they have a better idea than we do of what’s there. They selected a place where they hadn’t dug and set up the missile tunnels around it. They used their diggers to dig in at that site and wait for our arrival. They intentionally allowed our sensors enough time to see a fake chamber they created to draw us in. In my opinion, they have a new digger that we can’t hear with our probes.”

Cliff backed the recording up and brought the view in closer to the ground that caved in under the Alliance Formation. The room watched and saw the Weg were squirming and packed tightly together. Cliff stopped the recording and moved it in on one of the Weg. It didn’t look like any Weg they had seen in the past. It was covered in a slime that appeared to be coming out of its hide. The four legs were all scoop shaped and the legs they were attached to were incredibly muscular. The torso had two short arms with hands that glowed the distinctive color of the claw pads on the previous Weg warriors. The fingers looked like short spears with sharp points on the end of them. Cliff nodded toward the image, “That is a new digger. It appears the Weg are not coming out of the ground to meet us anymore.”

Josh looked across the table at General Young and said, “Sir, it wouldn’t have mattered who led this drop. The same thing would have happened and you are not to blame for this loss.”

Hetzel shook his head, “The new armor didn’t save them.”

Josh pointed at the monitor, “Nothing would have worked in that situation. They were trapped and held until the Weg dug through their force fields. If the new armor had the old rockets on the legs, some might have survived. But with our new dependence on magnetic technology, no one considered they might be needed.”

Alex looked at Josh and then at General Young who had lowered his head, “He’s right, General.” Alex turned to Josh, “It appears your first assessment was right. The only way to win this is to meet them underground.”

Josh looked at Alex and then back to the Weg still frozen on the monitor. The war was now on a new course and the Weg had taken the momentum. He knew the Weg killed at the drop site would be replaced in a matter of weeks and the replacements would all be this new species of silent digger.

Jek stared at the monitor and shook his head, “How are we going to meet that and win?”

Josh looked at Jek and said, “We need a new sensor to find them.”

Jek shook his head, “Sensors won’t do us any good if they’re destroyed the moment they’re dropped.”

Josh smiled, “Perhaps we’ll use one that’s not so easily destroyed.”

The attendee’s looked at Josh and he lifted a helmet out of a pouch he had brought to the meeting. Jek looked at it and shook his head, “You’re bound and determined to use that?”

Everyone looked at them and Josh smiled, “I am indeed.”

Alex looked at Josh and said, “What exactly is it you’re planning to do?”

Josh’s smile looked dangerous, “Follow the example the Weg have given us.” Alex’s eyebrows went up as Josh said, “Fight fire with fire.”

P
rissy held one baby and fed him while she rocked the other with her foot. Josh came in and took over rocking his daughter. Prissy smiled, “Thanks for the help.”

“I’m sorry I’m not here to help you.”

“But you are here.”

“Did you make the change?”

Prissy smiled, “Yes, I did.”

Josh picked up his daughter from her chair and her eyes were wide open as she stared at him. “She’s beautiful, Prissy.”

“I know. Her name is now Jeanette Rumelody Adams.”

Josh nodded and held her close to his chest. “Dad didn’t like Adam’s name.”

“Then he should have told us his first name.”

Josh chuckled, “I tried to get a copy of his records but he evidently had them removed from the system.”

Prissy smiled, “Joshua Tindel Adams.” She held him up and said, “It has a certain ring to it, wouldn’t you say?”

“It does, my love.”

“Are you still considering your idea?”

“I’m past considering it. I’m leaving today to see if it has any merit.”

“Who is going with you?”

“Cheng.” Prissy’s eyes went up and Josh shrugged, “He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Are you pretty sure about this?”

“I think so. We’ll have the new armor and magnets attached to Tuffy. We should be able to run if we have to escape.”

“Call me when you wrap it up.”

Josh looked at her, “You don’t appear to be worried about this.”

“I keep seeing you after the war is won. You need to be involved in death defying activities. That’s probably what they’re feeling now.”

Josh stared at his wife and said, “You don’t think I’ll be able to adapt afterwards?”

“That remains to be seen.” Josh nodded and held Rumelody until she fell asleep.

• • •

Josh’s Q ship entered normal space above the barren planet and he directed Tuffy to move a hundred miles east of the giant crater on the planet’s surface. He put the skullcap helmet over his head and lowered his visor on his combat helmet. He touched his combat helmet slightly below his left ear and began hearing a loud series of noises that were harsh to his ears. He knew he wasn’t actually hearing anything; the noise was in his mind. He went to the open port in the Q ship’s side and said, “Tuffy, keep us covered.”

“You just be ready to get out of Dodge.”

Cheng looked at Josh, “Dodge?”

“Tuffy has downloaded every old western movie from Earth’s libraries. He uses expressions he learned from those movies. Dodge was a dangerous city in the old west in America. Getting out of town was sometimes the only way to continue living.”

Cheng shrugged, “It sounds like an appropriate idea.”

Josh nodded, “You have no idea.” Josh boarded the gravity sled as Cheng moved to the controls at the rear. “Stay alert.” Cheng nodded and kept his eyes on the display in front of him and focused on the tactical feed coming in from the Q ship. The sled moved toward the planet’s surface and the noise in his mind grew louder. Jek had protested building the thought helmet because he knew Josh was going to use it to communicate with the Weg on the planet where the Queen was killed. It finally came down to Josh ordering him to build it. Josh waited until the sled was a hundred yards above the surface and he pressed a green button on the left side of his helmet and thought, “YOU WILL ALL BE SILENT AND SEND ME THE ONE I SPOKE WITH!”

Cheng heard Josh through the link in his helmet and watched the monitor closely. So far, nothing had happened. Josh heard the noise in his mind rise and then slowly diminish. He thought again, “The one I communicated with will come to me now!”

Cheng watched the monitor closely and saw the ground under the sled move slightly. A moment later, a Flying Weg came out of the ground and spread its wings. It lifted off the ground and flew up to the sled and landed in the center between Cheng and Josh. It stared at Josh and after a long moment said, “You are thinking on the pattern used by my dead Mother.”